Disaccharide Substrates Research Articles

Enzyme Machinery for Bacterial Glucoside Metabolism through a Conserved Non-hydrolytic Pathway.

The flexible acquisition of substrates from nutrient pools is critical for microbes to prevail in competitive environments. To acquire glucose from diverse glycoside and disaccharide substrates, many free-living and symbiotic bacteria have developed, alongside hydrolysis, a non-hydrolytic pathway comprised of four biochemical steps and conferred from a single glycoside utilization gene locus (GUL). Mechanistically, this pathway integrates within the framework of oxidation and reduction at the glucosyl/glucose C3, the eliminative cleavage of the glycosidic bond and the addition of water in two consecutive lyase-catalyzed reactions. Here, based on study of enzymes from the phytopathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens, we reveal a conserved Mn2+ metallocenter active site in both lyases and identify the structural requirements for specific catalysis to elimination of 3-keto-glucosides and water addition to the resulting 2-hydroxy-3-keto-glycal product, yielding 3-keto-glucose. Extending our search of GUL-encoded putative lyases to the human gut commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, we discover a Ca2+ metallocenter active site in a putative glycoside hydrolase-like protein and demonstrate its catalytic function in the eliminative cleavage of 3-keto-glucosides of opposite (α) anomeric configuration as preferred by the A. tumefaciens enzyme (β). Structural and biochemical comparisons reveal the molecular-mechanistic origin of 3-keto-glucoside lyase stereo-complementarity. Our findings identify a basic set of GUL-encoded lyases for glucoside metabolism and assign physiological significance to GUL genetic diversity in the bacterial domain of life.

Enzymmaschinerie für bakteriellen Glucosidmetabolismus über einen konservierten nicht‐hydrolytischen Abbauweg

AbstractFlexible Substrataufnahme aus Nährstoffreservoirs ist für Mikroorganismen entscheidend, um sich in kompetitiven natürlichen Umgebungen durchzusetzen. Zur Aufnahme von Glucose aus verschiedenen Glucosid‐ und Disaccharid‐Substraten haben viele frei‐ und symbiotisch lebende Bakterien, neben der Hydrolyse, einen nicht‐hydrolytischen Stoffwechselweg entwickelt. Dieser besteht aus vier biochemischen Schritten und wird von einem distinkten Genlocus (glycoside utilization locus, GUL) codiert. Mechanistisch integriert der Stoffwechselweg die Oxidation und Reduktion am Glucosyl/Glucose‐C3 mit der eliminativen Spaltung der glycosidischen Bindung und der Addition von Wasser an das Eliminationsprodukt in zwei aufeinanderfolgenden, von Lyasen katalysierten Reaktionen. In dieser Studie zeigen wir, basierend auf der Untersuchung von Enzymen des Pflanzenpathogens Agrobacterium tumefaciens, ein konserviertes Aktivitätszentrum in beiden Lyasen, welches um ein zentrales Mn2+ Metallion angeordnet ist. Weiters identifizieren wir die strukturellen Voraussetzungen für die spezifische Katalyse der 3‐Ketoglucosid Eliminierung zu 2‐Hydroxy‐3‐ketoglycal und der Hydratisierung des Glycal zu 3‐Ketoglucose. Die Erweiterung unserer Suche nach GUL‐codierten putativen Lyasen auf das menschliche darmkommensale Bakterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron führte uns zur Entdeckung eines Ca2+‐koordinierten Aktivitätszentrums in einem Glycosidase‐ähnlichen Protein. Das Enzym katalysiert die eliminative Spaltung von 3‐Ketoglucosiden entgegengesetzter (α) anomerer Konfiguration im Vergleich zu den von der A. tumefaciens Lyase präferierten Substraten (β). Strukturelle und biochemische Vergleiche zeigen die molekular‐mechanistische Basis der Stereokomplementarität der beiden 3‐Ketoglucosid Lyasen. Unsere Ergebnisse identifizieren ein grundlegendes Set von GUL‐codierten Lyasen für den Glucosidmetabolismus und erlauben es, der Gendiversität von GULs in der Domäne von Bakterien physiologische Bedeutung zuzuschreiben.

A Robust α-l-Fucosidase from Prevotella nigrescens for Glycoengineering Therapeutic Antibodies.

Eliminating the core fucose from the N-glycans of the Fc antibody segment by pathway engineering or enzymatic methods has been shown to enhance the potency of therapeutic antibodies, especially in the context of antibody-dependent cytotoxicity (ADCC). However, there is a significant challenge due to the limited defucosylation efficiency of commercially available α-l-fucosidases. In this study, we report a unique α-l-fucosidase (PnfucA) from the bacterium Prevotella nigrescens that has a low sequence identity compared with all other known α-l-fucosidases and is highly reactive toward a core disaccharide substrate with fucose α(1,3)-, α (1,4)-and α(1,6)-linked to GlcNAc, and is less reactive toward the Fuc-α(1,2)-Gal on the terminal trisaccharide of the oligosaccharide Globo H (Bb3). The kinetic properties of the enzyme, such as its Km and kcat, were determined and the optimized expression of PnfucA gave a yield exceeding 30 mg/L. The recombinant enzyme retained its full activity even after being incubated for 6 h at 37 °C. Moreover, it retained 92 and 87% of its activity after freezing and freeze-drying treatments, respectively, for over 28 days. In a representative glycoengineering of adalimumab (Humira), PnfucA showed remarkable hydrolytic efficiency in cleaving the α(1,6)-linked core fucose from FucGlcNAc on the antibody with a quantitative yield. This enabled the seamless incorporation of biantennary sialylglycans by Endo-S2 D184 M in a one-pot fashion to yield adalimumab in a homogeneous afucosylated glycoform with an improved binding affinity toward Fcγ receptor IIIa.

A Fluorogenic Disaccharide Substrate for α-Mannosidases Enables High-Throughput Screening and Identification of an Inhibitor of the GH92 Virulence Factor from Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Trimming of host glycans is a mechanism that is broadly employed by both commensal and pathogenic microflora to enable colonization. Host glycan trimming by the opportunistic Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae has been demonstrated to be an important mechanism of virulence. While S. pneumoniae employs a multitude of glycan processing enzymes, the exo-mannosidase SpGH92 has been shown to be an important virulence factor. Accordingly, SpGH92 is hypothesized to be a target for much-needed new treatments of S. pneumoniae infection. Here we report the synthesis of 4-methylumbelliferyl α-d-mannopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-mannopyranoside (Manα1,2Manβ-4MU) as a fluorogenic disaccharide substrate and development of an assay for SpGH92 that overcomes its requirement for +1 binding site occupancy. We miniaturize our in vitro assay and apply it to a high-throughput screen of >65 000 compounds, identifying a single inhibitory chemotype, LIPS-343. We further show that Manα1,2Manβ-4MU is also a substrate of the human Golgi-localized α-mannosidase MAN1A1, suggesting that this substrate should be useful for assessing the activity of this and other mammalian α-mannosidases.

A Universal and Modular Scaffold for Heparanase Activatable Probes and Drugs.

Heparanase (HPSE) is an endo-β-glucuronidase involved in extracellular matrix remodeling in rapidly healing tissues, most cancers and inflammation, and viral infection. Its importance as a therapeutic target warrants further study, but such is hampered by a lack of research tools. To expand the toolkits for probing HPSE enzymatic activity, we report the design of a substrate scaffold for HPSE comprised of a disaccharide substrate appended with a linker, capable of carrying cargo until being cleaved by HPSE. Here exemplified as a fluorogenic, coumarin-based imaging probe, this scaffold can potentially expand the availability of HPSE-responsive imaging or drug delivery tools using a variety of imaging moieties or other cargo. We show that electronic tuning of the scaffold provides a robust response to HPSE while simplifying the structural requirements of the attached cargo. Molecular docking and modeling suggest a productive probe/HPSE binding mode. These results further support the hypothesis that the reactivity of these HPSE-responsive probes is predominantly influenced by the electron density of the aglycone. This universal HPSE-activatable scaffold will greatly facilitate future development of HPSE-responsive probes and drugs.

Tubulin deacetylase NDST3 modulates lysosomal acidification: Implications in neurological diseases.

Neurological diseases (NDs), featured by progressive dysfunctions of the nervous system, have become a growing burden for the aging populations. N-Deacetylase and N-sulfotransferase 3 (NDST3) is known to catalyze deacetylation and N-sulfation on disaccharide substrates. Recently, NDST3 is identified as a novel deacetylase for tubulin, and its newly recognized role in modulating microtubule acetylation and lysosomal acidification provides fresh insights into ND therapeutic approaches using NDST3 as a target. Microtubule acetylation and lysosomal acidification have been reported to be critical for activities in neurons, implying that the regulators of these two biological processes, such as the previously known microtubule deacetylases, histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) and sirtuin 2 (SIRT2), could play important roles in various NDs. Aberrant NDST3 expression or tubulin acetylation has been observed in an increasing number of NDs, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD), schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson's disease (PD), suggesting that NDST3 is a key player in the pathogenesis of NDs and may serve as a target for development of new treatment of NDs.

NamZ1 and NamZ2 from the Oral Pathogen Tannerella forsythia Are Peptidoglycan Processing Exo-β-N-Acetylmuramidases with Distinct Substrate Specificities.

The Gram-negative periodontal pathogen Tannerella forsythia is inherently auxotrophic for N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc), which is an essential carbohydrate constituent of the peptidoglycan (PGN) of the bacterial cell wall. Thus, to build up its cell wall, T. forsythia strictly depends on the salvage of exogenous MurNAc or sources of MurNAc, such as polymeric or fragmentary PGN, derived from cohabiting bacteria within the oral microbiome. In our effort to elucidate how T. forsythia satisfies its demand for MurNAc, we recognized that the organism possesses three putative orthologs of the exo-β-N-acetylmuramidase BsNamZ from Bacillus subtilis, which cleaves nonreducing end, terminal MurNAc entities from the artificial substrate pNP-MurNAc and the naturally-occurring disaccharide substrate MurNAc-N-acetylglucosamine (MurNAc-GlcNAc). TfNamZ1 and TfNamZ2 were successfully purified as soluble, pure recombinant His6-fusions and characterized as exo-lytic β-N-acetylmuramidases with distinct substrate specificities. The activity of TfNamZ1 was considerably lower compared to TfNamZ2 and BsNamZ, in the cleavage of MurNAc-GlcNAc. When peptide-free PGN glycans were used as substrates, we revealed striking differences in the specificity and mode of action of these enzymes, as analyzed by mass spectrometry. TfNamZ1, but not TfNamZ2 or BsNamZ, released GlcNAc-MurNAc disaccharides from these glycans. In addition, glucosamine (GlcN)-MurNAc disaccharides were generated when partially N-deacetylated PGN glycans from B. subtilis 168 were applied. This characterizes TfNamZ1 as a unique disaccharide-forming exo-lytic β-N-acetylmuramidase (exo-disaccharidase), and, TfNamZ2 and BsNamZ as sole MurNAc monosaccharide-lytic exo-β-N-acetylmuramidases. IMPORTANCE Two exo-N-acetylmuramidases from T. forsythia belonging to glycosidase family GH171 (www.cazy.org) were shown to differ in their activities, thus revealing a functional diversity within this family: NamZ1 releases disaccharides (GlcNAc-MurNAc/GlcN-MurNAc) from the nonreducing ends of PGN glycans, whereas NamZ2 releases terminal MurNAc monosaccharides. This work provides a better understanding of how T. forsythia may acquire the essential growth factor MurNAc by the salvage of PGN from cohabiting bacteria in the oral microbiome, which may pave avenues for the development of anti-periodontal drugs. On a broad scale, our study indicates that the utilization of PGN as a nutrient source, involving exo-lytic N-acetylmuramidases with different modes of action, appears to be a general feature of bacteria, particularly among the phylum Bacteroidetes.

Peptidoglycan Salvage Enables the Periodontal Pathogen Tannerella forsythia to Survive within the Oral Microbial Community

Tannerella forsythia is an anaerobic, fusiform Gram-negative oral pathogen strongly associated with periodontitis, a multibacterial inflammatory disease that leads to the destruction of the teeth-supporting tissue, ultimately causing tooth loss. To survive in the oral habitat, T. forsythia depends on cohabiting bacteria for the provision of nutrients. For axenic growth under laboratory conditions, it specifically relies on the external supply of N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc), which is an essential constituent of the peptidoglycan (PGN) of bacterial cell walls. T. forsythia comprises a typical Gram-negative PGN; however, as evidenced by genome sequence analysis, the organism lacks common enzymes required for the de novo synthesis of precursors of PGN, which rationalizes its MurNAc auxotrophy. Only recently insights were obtained into how T. forsythia gains access to MurNAc in its oral habitat, enabling synthesis of the own PGN cell wall. This report summarizes T. forsythia’s strategies to survive in the oral habitat by means of PGN salvage pathways, including recovery of exogenous MurNAc and PGN-derived fragments but also polymeric PGN, which are all derived from cohabiting bacteria either via cell wall turnover or decay of cells. Salvage of polymeric PGN presumably requires the removal of peptides from PGN by an unknown amidase, concomitantly with the translocation of the polymer across the outer membrane. Two recently identified exo-lytic N-acetylmuramidases (Tf_NamZ1 and Tf_NamZ2) specifically cleave the peptide-free, exogenous (nutrition source) PGN in the periplasm and release the MurNAc and disaccharide substrates for the transporters Tf_MurT and Tf_AmpG, respectively, whereas the peptide-containing, endogenous (the self-cell wall) PGN stays unattached. This review also outlines how T. forsythia synthesises the PGN precursors UDP-MurNAc and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc), involving homologs of the Pseudomonas sp. recycling enzymes AmgK/MurU and a monofunctional uridylyl transferase (named Tf_GlmU*), respectively.

Potential Inhibitors of Galactofuranosyltransferase 2 (GlfT2): Molecular Docking, 3D-QSAR, and In Silico ADMETox Studies

A strategy in the discovery of anti-tuberculosis (anti-TB) drug involves targeting the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis’ (Mtb) cell wall. One of these enzymes is Galactofuranosyltransferase 2 (GlfT2) that catalyzes the elongation of the galactan chain of Mtb cell wall. Studies targeting GlfT2 have so far produced compounds showing minimal inhibitory activity. With the current challenge of designing potential GlfT2 inhibitors with high inhibition activity, computational methods such as molecular docking, receptor-ligand mapping, molecular dynamics, and Three-Dimensional-Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (3D-QSAR) were utilized to deduce the interactions of the reported compounds with the target enzyme and enabling the design of more potent GlfT2 inhibitors. Molecular docking studies showed that the synthesized compounds have binding energy values between −3.00 to −6.00 kcal mol−1. Two compounds, #27 and #31, have registered binding energy values of −8.32 ± 0.01, and −8.08 ± 0.01 kcal mol−1, respectively. These compounds were synthesized as UDP-Galactopyranose mutase (UGM) inhibitors and could possibly inhibit GlfT2. Interestingly, the analogs of the known disaccharide substrate, compounds #1–4, have binding energy range of −10.00 to −19.00 kcal mol−1. The synthesized and newly designed compounds were subjected to 3D-QSAR to further design compounds with effective interaction within the active site. Results showed improved binding energy from −6.00 to −8.00 kcal mol−1. A significant increase on the binding affinity was observed when modifying the aglycon part instead of the sugar moiety. Furthermore, these top hit compounds were subjected to in silico ADMETox evaluation. Compounds #31, #70, #71, #72, and #73 were found to pass the ADME evaluation and throughout the screening, only compound #31 passed the predicted toxicity evaluation. This work could pave the way in the design and synthesis of GlfT2 inhibitors through computer-aided drug design and can be used as an initial approach in identifying potential novel GlfT2 inhibitors with promising activity and low toxicity.

Arylsulfatase K is the Lysosomal 2-Sulfoglucuronate Sulfatase.

The degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) involves a series of exolytic glycosidases and sulfatases that act sequentially on the nonreducing end of the polysaccharide chain. Enzymes have been cloned that catalyze all of the known linkages with the exception of the removal of the 2-O-sulfate group from 2-sulfoglucuronate, which is found in heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate. Here, we show using synthetic disaccharide substrates that arylsulfatase K is the glucuronate-2-sulfatase. Arylsulfatase K acts selectively on 2-sulfoglucuronate and lacks activity against 2-sulfoiduronate, whereas iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) desulfates synthetic disaccharides containing 2-sulfoiduronate but not 2-sulfoglucuronate. As arylsulfatase K has all of the properties expected of a lysosomal enzyme, we conclude that arylsulfatase K is the long sought lysosomal glucuronate-2-sulfatase, which we designate GDS.

Structural and functional studies of the glycoside hydrolase family 3 β-glucosidase Cel3A from the moderately thermophilic fungus Rasamsonia emersonii.

The filamentous fungus Hypocrea jecorina produces a number of cellulases and hemicellulases that act in a concerted fashion on biomass and degrade it into monomeric or oligomeric sugars. β-Glucosidases are involved in the last step of the degradation of cellulosic biomass and hydrolyse the β-glycosidic linkage between two adjacent molecules in dimers and oligomers of glucose. In this study, it is shown that substituting the β-glucosidase from H. jecorina (HjCel3A) with the β-glucosidase Cel3A from the thermophilic fungus Rasamsonia emersonii (ReCel3A) in enzyme mixtures results in increased efficiency in the saccharification of lignocellulosic materials. Biochemical characterization of ReCel3A, heterologously produced in H. jecorina, reveals a preference for disaccharide substrates over longer gluco-oligosaccharides. Crystallographic studies of ReCel3A revealed a highly N-glycosylated three-domain dimeric protein, as has been observed previously for glycoside hydrolase family 3 β-glucosidases. The increased thermal stability and saccharification yield and the superior biochemical characteristics of ReCel3A compared with HjCel3A and mixtures containing HjCel3A make ReCel3A an excellent candidate for addition to enzyme mixtures designed to operate at higher temperatures.

Oligosaccharide production by hydrolysis of polysaccharides: a review

SummaryOligosaccharides are carbohydrates with a low molecular weight, which, when nondigestible, can produce bifidogenic activity and several other effects to human health. Oligosaccharides can be found naturally in foods or are produced by the synthesis from disaccharide substrates or by the hydrolysis of polysaccharides. Although it has yet to be improved, the hydrolysis of polysaccharides is the best choice for oligosaccharide production on a large scale, due to its reproducibility and smaller cost. This review concisely presents the main processes for the production of oligosaccharides by depolymerisation of polysaccharides (enzymatic, acid, and physical hydrolysis), taking into account their advantages, disadvantages, and perspectives.

Enzyme-Modified Buckypaper for Direct Bioelectrocatalysis

Pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (PQQ–GDH) has been employed as a biosensor due to its high activity and lack of sensitivity to oxygen. In addition, direct electron transfer (DET) between the PQQ catalytic center and a conductive support has been demonstrated. This direct bioelectrocatalytic process negates the need for redox mediators and enables basic characterization of the biocatalytic process. Although PQQ–GDH is applied in point-of-care glucose sensors, its substrate range makes it an excellent candidate for biological fuel cell (BFC) anodes. However, the majority of research to date focused on the characterization and optimization of PQQ–GDH as a biosensor, rather than a BFC anode. Development of biocatalytic anodes requires a few considerations including the establishment of an open circuit potential decrease upon the addition of electron donor, a minimal potential drop associated with increased current densities, and sustainable power production. High catalytic activity of the bio-anode is also desirable; therefore, the factors influencing the kinetics of the DET process need to be understood and controlled. Examples of influential factors are the composition and structure of the conductive material and the enzyme tethering method. An electrode material suitable for direct bioelectrocatalysis is carbon nanotube (CNT) paper (i.e., buckypaper), which is a simple, easy-to-fabricate, scalable architecture. DET between multicopper oxidases and buckypaper has been demonstrated;1–3however, electron transfer events taking place between an organic redox molecule and CNTs are not as rigorously characterized. Herein, we demonstrate direct bioelectrocatalysis afforded by PQQ–GDH tethered to a range of CNT materials.4Physical characterization of the buckypaper architectures revealed marked differences attributable to changes in CNT dimensions, including conductivity, packing density, and electrochemically accessible surface area. Buckypaper anodes composed of single-walled CNTs produced higher current densities per geometric area with minimal voltage drops (Fig. 1). In comparison, electrodes made of oxidized CNTs exhibited higher voltage drops. The redox center, PQQ, physically adsorbed to the oxidized CNTs; however, non-oxidized CNTs exhibited redox processes limited by diffusion. In addition, electrode longevity tests on single-walled CNTs revealed that activity was retained for two days but then decreased by 50% on the third day. Lastly, the versatile utility of the PQQ–GDH anode was demonstrated via the oxidation of a range of mono- and disaccharide substrates. Fig. 1: Representative potentiostatic polarization curves of PQQ–GDH-modified SWBP (■), MWBP (●) and MWBP-F (▲). All polarization curves were performed with N2-sparged electrolyte in the presence of 10 mM glucose. Figure from reference 4.

ChemInform Abstract: Catalytic Anomeric Aminoalkynylation of Unprotected Aldoses.

AbstractThe novel protocol renders possible the aminoalkynylation of unprotected aldoses including disaccharide substrates.

Mechanistic Insights from Substrate Preference in Unsaturated Glucuronyl Hydrolase

Natural and synthetic unsaturated glucuronides were tested as substrates for Clostridium perfringens unsaturated glucuronyl hydrolase to probe its mechanism and to guide inhibitor design. Of the natural substrates, a chondroitin disaccharide substrate with sulfation of the primary alcohol on carbon 6 of its N-acetylgalactosamine moiety was found to have the highest turnover number of any substrate reported for an unsaturated glucuronyl hydrolase, with kcat =112 s(-1) . Synthetic aryl glycoside substrates with electron-withdrawing aglycone substituents were cleaved more slowly than those with electron-donating substituents. Similarly, an unsaturated glucuronyl fluoride was found to be a particularly poor substrate, with kcat /Km =44 nM(-1) s(-1) -a very unusual result for a glycoside-cleaving enzyme. These results are consistent with a transition state with positive charge at carbon 5 and the endocyclic oxygen, as anticipated in the hydration mechanism proposed. However, several analogues designed to take advantage of strong enzyme binding to such a transition state showed little to no inhibition. This result suggests that further work is required to understand the true nature of the transition state stabilised by this enzyme.

Regiospecific Anomerisation of Acylated Glycosyl Azides and Benzoylated Disaccharides by Using TiCl4

Chelation induced anomerisation is promoted when Lewis acids, such as TiCl4 or SnCl4, coordinate to the pyranose ring oxygen atom and another site, giving rise to endocyclic cleavage and isomerisation to the more stable anomer. In this research regiospecific site-directed anomerisation is demonstrated. TiCl4 (2.5 equiv) was employed to induce anomerisation of 15 glycosyl azide and disaccharide substrates of low reactivity, and high yields (>75%) and stereoselectivies (α/β>9:1) were achieved. The examples included glucopyranuronate, galactopyranuronate and mannopyranuronate as well as N-acetylated glucopyranuronate and galactopyranuronate derivatives. A disaccharide with the α1→4 linkage found in polygalacturonan was included. The use of benzoylated saccharides was found to be important in disaccharide anomerisation as attempts to isomerise related acetyl protected and 2,3-carbonate protected derivatives were not successful.

Catalytic Anomeric Aminoalkynylation of Unprotected Aldoses

A copper(I)-catalyzed anomeric aminoalkynylation reaction of unprotected aldoses was realized. Use of an electron-deficient phosphine ligand, boric acid to stabilize the iminium intermediate, and a protic additive (IPA) to presumably enhance reversible carbohydrate-boron complexation were all essential for efficient conversion. The reaction proceeded well even with a natural disaccharide substrate, suggesting that the developed catalytic reaction could be useful for the synthesis of glycoconjugates with minimum use of protecting groups.

Synthesis of 4-methylumbelliferyl α-d-mannopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-mannopyranoside and development of a coupled fluorescent assay for GH125 exo-α-1,6-mannosidases

Certain bacterial pathogens possess a repertoire of carbohydrate processing enzymes that process host N-linked glycans and many of these enzymes are required for full virulence of harmful human pathogens such as Clostridium perfringens and Streptococcus pneumoniae. One bacterial carbohydrate processing enzyme that has been studied is the pneumococcal virulence factor SpGH125 from S. pneumoniae and its homologue, CpGH125, from C. perfringens. These exo-α-1,6-mannosidases from glycoside hydrolase family 125 show poor activity toward aryl α-mannopyranosides. To circumvent this problem, we describe a convenient synthesis of the fluorogenic disaccharide substrate 4-methylumbelliferone α-d-mannopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-mannopyranoside. We show this substrate can be used in a coupled fluorescent assay by using β-mannosidases from either Cellulomonas fimi or Helix pomatia as the coupling enzyme. We find that this disaccharide substrate is processed much more efficiently than aryl α-mannopyranosides by CpGH125, most likely because inclusion of the second mannose residue makes this substrate more like the natural host glycan substrates of this enzyme, which enables it to bind better. Using this sensitive coupled assay, the detailed characterization of these metal-independent exo-α-mannosidases GH125 enzymes should be possible, as should screening chemical libraries for inhibitors of these virulence factors.

Enzyme-Modified Buckypaper for Bioelectrocatalysis

Direct bioelectrocatalysis was demonstrated with pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (PQQ–GDH) tethered to a range of carbon nanotube (CNT) materials, as evidenced by the generation of anodic current in the presence of glucose. Physical and electrochemical characterization of CNT paper (buckypaper) reveals marked differences attributed to changes in CNT dimensions, including conductivity, packing density, and electrochemically accessible surface area. By using single-walled CNTs as the electrode material, higher current densities per geometric area and lower electron transfer resistances were achieved. In comparison, electrodes made of oxidized CNTs enhanced in the physical adsorption of PQQ, but displayed voltage drops associated with activation losses. In addition, electrode longevity tests revealed that electrochemical activity was retained for two days but decreased by 50% on the third day. PQQ–GDH enzymatic electrodes show potential application as biological fuel cell anodes and will oxidize a range of mono- and disaccharide substrates.

Optimal Conditions and Substrate Specificity for Trehalose Production by Resting Cells of Arthrobacter crystallopoietes N-08

Recently, we found that Arthrobacter crystallopoietes N-08 isolated from soil directly produces trehalose from maltose by a resting cell reaction. In this study, the optimal set of conditions and substrate specificity for the trehalose production using resting cells was investigated. Optimum temperature and pH of the resting cell reaction were 55℃ and pH 5.5, respectively, and the reaction was stable for two hours at 37～55℃ and for one hour at the wide pH ranges of 3～9. Various disaccharide substrates with different glycosidic linkages, such as maltose, isomaltose, cellobiose, nigerose, sophorose, and laminaribiose, were converted into trehalose-like spots in thin layer chromatography (TLC). These results indicated broad substrate specificity of this reaction and the possibility that cellobiose could be converted into other trehalose anomers such as α,β- and -trehalose. Therefore, the product after the resting cell reaction with cellobiose was purified by -glucosidase treatment and Dowex-1 (OH?) column chromatography and its structure was analyzed. Component sugar and methylation analyses indicated that this cellobiose-conversion product was composed of only non-reducing terminal glucopyranoside. MALDI-TOF and ESI-MS/MS analyses suggested that this oligosaccharide contained a non-reducing disaccharide unit with a 1,1-glucosidic linkage. When this disaccharide was analyzed by ¹H-NMR and <SUP>13</SUP>C-NMR, it gave the same signals with α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1,1)-α-D-glucopyranoside. These results suggest that cellobiose can be converted to α,α-trehalose by the resting cells of A. crystallopoietes N-08.